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Eirian Williams - Snooker Refereeing, The Professional Way

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During the match

[ Oh No! ] [ Correct Positioning ]

• Try and position yourself behind the players' line of sight whenever possible. If you have a quick player, or find on occasions that you can't get away in time, keep still. However, that said, I have found that on the professional circuit, the players know that the referee has to move away from the table after spotting a colour so they will be aware that if they are addressing a ball whilst the referee is still at the table there will be some movement by the ref. Naturally faster players sometimes cue under the referees' arm when they are still spotting a colour, knowing full well that they will be moving away. What's the Referee expected to do, freeze over the table? I don't think so!
• Position yourself also, according to any television cameras and audience. I tend to try and share the view of my back around the audience. It's not fair if a section of the audience get more of the view of your back rather than that what they've paid to see. Having said that, there are occasions that you must be in their way - you must never compromise your own view of proceedings. My preferred place for refereeing whilst on Television is close to the floor cameras.
• You must learn to read the game so that you can position yourself correctly. When a colour needs spotting after being potted, spotting from certain sides will aid you to be at the correct side of the table for the players next shot when you move away. There are occasions when there are several options open to a player. In this case, keep an eye on the players' movements and move accordingly. The last place you want to be is directly in the players line of sight.
• If there is a big chalk mark on the table which needs wiping, use the back of your glove. The palms of your gloves should be kept as clean as possible for cleaning the balls.
• When calling out the scores after a break, much used to be said about whether you should call the score first then the name or vice versa. In my opinion, it doesn't make a difference, as long as it is done. If you are refereeing a country as opposed to an individual, the country's name should be called out.
• Spotting the colour's after being potted is another area that I have seen being abused in the past. I have seen people acting as referees being very heavy handed in banging the ball down onto its spot. This is the quickest way to wear a hole in the cloth, and there is no need for it. PLACE the ball by the side of its spot and roll it on.
• Always watch the table, don't turn away from it. When moving away from a table, learn to move backwards.
• Concentration is probably the most important part of successful refereeing. This is especially so when a ball or balls require replacing after a miss is called. I tend to look for marks on the cloth, the distance of the cue ball from the cushion BEFORE the shot is taken. All referees tend to make a mental note of the position of the balls when a player is snookered but the worst time to be caught out is when the player is not snookered and you have to call a miss when you least expect to. Other methods I use to determine the position of the balls is to check whether they are in line with two other balls or at least two other points on the table.
• Where there is a doubt whether a ball can be spotted, use your ball marker to check spot availability. It can get embarrassing if you place it on another spot, thinking that there's no room on its own spot only to be corrected by the player.
• If a player needs to be spoken to about wasting time, do so after that particular visit has been completed.
• Treat the table and the ancillary equipment with respect. When replacing rests, don't clatter them back into their hooks. place one end on one hook and place the other end gently on to the other hook.
• Whilst on the subject of rests, you may have noticed that for years, referees have been accepting the rests handed to them by the players and replacing it for them whilst the rule book says that it is the players responsibility to do so. Quite simply, the rests are replaced by the Referee, after a red is potted, in order to ensure the smooth running of the game. The Referee is not obliged to do this but it is accepted custom and practice. Notice however that it is the player that replaces the rest after a colour is potted because the Referee is away collecting the colour from the pocket. It would slow the game down if he did both. When using any of the equipment stored under the table, even if a colour is potted, the referee does at this time replace them before retrieving the colour.

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